Thursday, May 7, 2015

"Sitting in a bustling cafe on Gottingen Street, Savannah "Savvy" Simon is impossible to miss. Her long braids hang over her shoulders, nearly to her waist, and her moccasin-clad feet are tucked beneath her long buffalo-and-rainbow-patterned skirt. Beneath her white blazer, her tank top bears the words "L'nuis'i! It's that easy!"

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

"This is a website for learning the Mi'gmaq language online. It can be used independently, or to supplement classroom learning. In each section, you will find units consisting of lessons on related topics. In each lesson, you will learn new vocabulary, practice short dialogs, and do exercises to practice what you have learned so far. You will be able to listen to recordings of different Mi'gmaq speakers so that you can practice listening and speaking in Mi'gmaq above all else."

Note: most of the speakers are from Listuguj, and their pronunciation may be different from that in your home community.

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Monday, May 4, 2015

See below the "acknowledgement of territory" statement we are now using in Richmond district after collaborating with community members from Musqueam. We had previously been using either the term Coast Salish (too broad of a term as it involves First Nations quite far up the coast, on Vancouver Island and in Washington and Oregon) or the term Musqueam (too specific as our island and rivers were shared territories with other Nations.) The current statement references a language group (hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speakers) and more accurately acknowledges the many Nations whose activities intersected with Lulu Island.

"We acknowledge and thank the First Peoples of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (hun-ki-meen-um) language group on whose traditional and unceded territories we teach, learn and live."

Kwe' aq pjila'si, I am Vice Principal - Aboriginal Education for Surrey School district in BC, Canada. (Formerly a coordinator of Library and Information Services for SD38) I teach a Library Administration course and an Aboriginal Issues course for UBC and have a Masters in Educational Technology and Learning Design. I am also proud to claim my Mi'kmaq heritage. Wela'lioq for visiting.

Mawita'jig

This blog is a place for me to celebrate my roots and heritage. I feel a strong connection to my ancestor Mattie Mitchell (my mom's great grand-father) and I will be using this space to share links I find, and connect with others who want to discover Mi'kmaq culture and other First Nations influences.